Austin Macauley Publishers

Evaluating the financial accounts of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Barclays, HSBC, and Standard Chartered Bank from 2004 - 2018 reveals a taste of the sweetness of success. It also demonstrates what could go wrong in a mega bank, the crippling price of failure, and the long hard road to recovery. This book is a historical account of the causes of instability in the banking sector in the past 40 years and an evaluation of the effectiveness or otherwise of a range of laws and regulatory measures adopted to remedy financial crises in the UK over the years. In addition, the book provides a broad review of the evolutionary development of banking and financial laws starting with seminal case laws on the subject, the Banking Act 1979, the repealed Banking Act 1987, FSMA 2000, the Company Act 2006, the Banking Reform Act 2013, Basel Accords and sundry EU Directives. John, a Barrister at Law offered a robust blend of theoretical knowledge and twenty years of practical industry experience in a commercial bank to provide legal perspectives on supervisory models necessary for stability in the banking sector, while promoting justification for creating an enabling environment for wealth creation and economic growth. The Methods and Methodology chapter would be an invaluable companion for postgraduate students and researchers.

Hop aboard the tram with The Bean Team for an exciting football adventure! On a chilly Saturday, they cheer on the Tigers and the Terriers in a game full of fun twists and turns. During halftime, they munch on tasty snacks and learn some cool football rules. The game ends in a tie, so everyone's happy! Back at Bean Team Towers, they can't stop talking about their awesome day. Ready for some football fun? Join The Bean Team and enjoy the game!

Follow the exciting story of a young child's friendship with a very cheeky penguin who she meets on holiday ... and their efforts to conceal him from her parents!

Ever fantasized about escaping the daily grind to run your own camping and caravanning site? Prepare for an adventure unlike any other. Beyond the allure of the great outdoors lies a vibrant tapestry of unique personalities. From quirky characters to those with unconventional habits, life under canvas or in cozy caravans can unleash unexpected behaviors and wild inclinations. Dive into a world where inhibitions are shed and the truly eccentric come alive.

Charlie's Ark is a collection of stories about a five-year-old boy and his toy box ark given to his grandmother which contains many animals which magically come to life when he whispers a 'Wordspell'. This is the second Charlie s Ark book and is full of many new adventures for Charlie and his ark animals. Created and written by award-winning artist Mike Payne, the creator and original artist of the grey, blue-nosed bear, Tatty Teddy. Charlie s Ark is now being made into a global television series for children.

Iffy might be a fearsome dragon, but there's more to him than what meets the eye. Unlike other dragons you see, Iffy is not one for flying high.

When Aunt Florence mysteriously vanishes, her nephew, retired Detective Superintendent Matthew Rawlings, is drawn into a perilous and bewildering situation. Concerned for her safety, Matthew's investigation plunges him and his family into the midst of a series of murders, confronting them with danger of an unnervingly peculiar nature. As surreal echoes from the past intertwine with long-held resentments, the drama unfolds on the city streets. Without the familiar support of his former police colleagues, Matthew finds himself vulnerably exposed and inadvertently entangled in a web of murderous intrigue. His quest for answers becomes a race against time, as the line between friend and foe blurs in a world where nothing is as it seems.

Be very careful before you decide to buy this book because it might give you ideas! Judge Jury, pillar of society, makes one drunken mistake which turns his life upside down. Although now considered a despicable character by all, including his wife, he picks himself up with the help of a new-found friend he met at Her Majesty's pleasure and gets to his feet. His career now in shreds and his generous income no more, he receives some invaluable advice from his new-found friend: start stealing things. You will be amazed how easy it can be. So this is why I warn you to be careful before you approach the cashier to pay for what you hold in your hands. This book could get you into trouble. Big trouble.

Volume 2 of this quartet follows the fortunes of its heroine, Amy Spencer. After the sudden death of Rupert, who rescued her from obscurity, she is faced with having to move from London, where she was a partner in a prestigious firm of solicitors, to a small town in the home counties and seek work as an assistant solicitor. Here, she meets Jack, a very different character, and her personal and professional life moves in a very different direction. Does she find happiness? Read the book and find out...

Most people as they get older tend to forget about themselves. It seems to be a normal part of the process of life and it happens to the best of us. We forget to reach our own potential because we are far too focused on bringing up a family, working long hours to pay off the mortgage and bills, locked into the cycle of the never-ending treadmill of work and career. It is easy to lose our way and disregard our own existential well-being. Suddenly one day thirty years later, we say to ourselves, 'What happened to the person I used to be, what happened to my life? We used to be fun, go to parties, dance the night away at night clubs and have loads of crazy friends.' Your social life now consists of a bottle of wine at home watching TV. Your friends are getting fewer and fewer because over the years you have focused on everybody else except yourselves. My name is Stephen Cox, I am 55 years old and I describe myself as a modern hippie. I am spiritual, forward-thinking, a traveller of the world and a lover of life. I paint my brow with the colours of the rainbow, I wear bright multi-coloured clothes and beads and I dance with my whirly friends all through the night. I am happy! I have found hippie happiness, I have found Hippie Kushi and I would love it if you find it too.

In fifteenth-century Eastern Europe, Vlad III of Wallachia conducted a reign of terror. He had citizens impaled by the thousands. People were butchered on his merest whim. In his realm, and beyond it, men and women lived in dread of the Impaler Prince. And this Prince revelled in the horror he inspired. He was a sadist, seen by some as a being of unequalled depravity, even as the Devil's own spawn. But Vlad was also a man who had the qualities of a great leader: strength, courage, intelligence and commitment to an ideal. He was a crusader against the infidel who considered himself a true warrior of Christ. Here, his story is told by four men whose lives overlapped with his; men who were influenced by him to the point of obsession. But it is also told by Vlad himself. The inner thoughts of the butcher of Wallachia are exposed. And there is much more to this sinister figure than many would have imagined.

The Importance of Being Me: A Trans Reality is an essential guide for anyone navigating the complexities of gender identity. Whether you're a parent of a child questioning their gender, a teenager contemplating a transition, or someone seeking clarity on the gender/sex debate, this book offers valuable insights. It delves into the experiences of those who have journeyed through 'Transing' or, as the author terms it, authenticating their true selves. This book is a vital resource for understanding and embracing the nuances of gender identity.

Matthew Rawlings is back. The ex-superintendent of CID cannot leave it alone and this time he is in very real danger - not just likely to get his fingers burnt, but a whole lot more. Unwittingly, he ventures into relationships which carry memories and confrontations equally in dangerous measure. On a hill, a wild young man, jolted from his enjoyment and pleasure of first sex, comes face to face with shotguns which are loaded with death and menace. Matthew, his home town about to be savaged by a contentious major redevelopment, once again weakens to a cry for help. As he is embroiled in a world of intrigue and danger, old colleagues wary of his motives question his involvement. Surviving the mystery until the bitter end takes courage and guile, which nearly fail him.

Leopy, a curious baby leopard, is born without his spots, just like all little leopards. As he grows, he becomes envious of the older leopards and their beautiful spotted fur. Leopy simply can't wait to have spots of his own, so he embarks on a journey to find them. Along the way, he makes new friends and has countless adventures. Where will Leopy s quest take him? Who will he meet that can help him find his spots? Will he finally discover the secret to getting his very own spots?

In the tense atmosphere of the Cold War, John Fisher, a laid-back Australian, lands a job with a shipping line in Rotterdam, blissfully unaware of the concealed financial and political schemes harboured by some of his new friends and colleagues. He soon finds himself entangled in an international scandal involving influential entities, facing relentless pressure from various quarters. Navigating the challenges of dealing with intoxicated ship captains, irritable harbour masters, and antagonistic customs officers in Rotterdam and Antwerp seems trivial compared to the daunting task of untangling an accounting debacle for his London headquarters. This ordeal culminates in his role as a witness in a fraud trial in Southampton. Amidst this turmoil, a silver lining emerges as he meets and falls for Nina. However, the stakes escalate dramatically with a murder, thrusting Fisher into a maelstrom of political intrigue

The year was 1,000 BC. Life was fraught with danger. Drought, famine, and sickness were a constant threat. At any moment an enemy could invade. In a little hilltop village, a child was born, the youngest of a tribe of brothers. He was destined to become one of the best-known names in human history. As a child he knew nothing of this. Yet he dreamed! And as he led his father's sheep through the wild pastures he looked to the heavens, played his harp, and lifted his voice in spontaneous song. There were predators in those hills, but he was unafraid and full of courage, as if protected from all harm. A natural leader, he won the loyalty and admiration of the other boys in town. He drilled them in war-games, and they shared many adventures. These childhood companions remained faithful to him throughout all the seasons of his life. Through thick and thin they followed him, because of... that special something... that capacity to inspire and to lead, which seemed to come so naturally to him. This is the story of his early years. It lays the foundation - culturally, socially and geographically - for the epic life-journey which lay ahead. His legacy would last forever.

It was hard to imagine that the post-apocalyptic world that only existed in the movies had suddenly become reality in the city of Matana. With the Budlyt-19 virus continuing to spread, leading pharmaceutical companies battle for the antidote and the wealth they would be rewarded with in return. Little did Nadia know she would unwillingly be entangled in the pharmaceutical corruption of LithLabs after receiving cryptic messages from an anonymous source. Taken against her own will, Nadia becomes the test subject of a gruelling medical trial and is injected with a deep purple dose of Budlyt-19. Friends turn to foes, loyalty turns to betrayal, and antidote turns to obsession in a capitalist pursuit of Matana. Will Nadia ever escape the hands of corruption? Or will the color purple stay true to its meaning of wealth, power, and ambition for the corrupt? THE MOVING TYPE HAS ACHIEVED A MILESTONE AS THE OFFICIAL WORLD RECORD HOLDER FOR THE MOST CONTRIBUTIONS TO A PUBLISHED WORK OF FICTION. Unique in storyline and creation, this book project was written and illustrated by over 100 contributors from around the globe. Created in the midst of a global pandemic, the strongest chapters were born from the toughest times. Devika Sharma, creator of The Moving Type.

An orphaned kitten, rescued from the jaws of a vicious dog by a young naval captain, Horatio Nelson, is taken on board the battleship HMS Agamemnon to control mice and rats in the hold. The year is 1793 and Britain's navy is about to go to war with France. Terrified of cannons, mice and rats the kitten has to learn about life at sea, but struggles to overcome his fears. Follow the cat's adventures as he is befriended by a cabin boy and is helped by a manger full of animals to adapt to the life of a ship's cat. Against regulations he smuggles a young monkey onto the ship and with his help starts to rid the hold of mice. Finally, despite being injured, he is charged with the task of ridding the ship of two fearsome giant rats. How can he get the monsters off the ship and keep his place amongst the friends he has made on board. Failure is not an option.

"e;A characteristic of autism can be a difficulty using speech to express thoughts, feelings, and experiences. However, there is often an eloquence in self-expression using the arts, including poetry. Clare's sensitive and engaging poems provide an insight into her mind and her autism."e;Professor Tony Attwood, author of The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome.What if you were given a life-altering diagnosis at 57? One that meant you aren't who you thought you were? But one that explained everything?These poems vibrate with intensity and curiosity about life, and because she came to this knowledge so late in life, many of Clare Smith's poems focus not so much on what it means to be autistic, but on what it means to be human.Throughout her life, as she struggled to fit into a world that to her was utterly strange, she poured her hopes, her joys and at times her despair into words.She trained as a journalist, taught to cut out all emotion from her reporting, but her private writing is different - she created poetry that spoke to her deepest needs. There, exposed in her writing, is her yearning to belong, her astonishment at the physical world, her knowledge - decades before the doctors confirmed it - that she is different.She's spent a lifetime trying to make sense of her life - a journey that many of us, whether autistic or neurotypical, are on, and one in which we all face the same questions.

This work stretches from deep prehistoric times up to the 12th century AD and beyond. After a short preamble from the Megalithic to the Bronze Age, scanning Tara's Golden Age, it deals with Celtic Europe's decline due to Roman and Germanic conquest. It follows Celtic tribes fleeing to Britain and Ireland, where they set up settlements. Ptolemy of Alexandria's 2nd-century record debunks early Irish pseudo-history and ratifies the archaic Ulidian Tales. This work exposes the monumental hoax projecting Tara of Meath as the capital of Ireland and the seat of the High Kingship. The work draws on a compelling compilation of acclaimed authors and specialist studies that list the aforesaid as a medieval forgery. Prehistoric Tara had a much older status, an archaic Golden Age. This work tracks extensive research and archaeological analysis into British oppida, from which Celtic Belgic tribes migrated and set up similar oppida in Ireland. A concentration on the early history of these neglected areas was at the core of the early Irish historical records.

The Dimension Series will enchant readers across generations, resonating with adults at every stage of their life journey. This epic saga unfolds through dimensional voyages, life on 3D-Earth, ascensions to higher frequencies, portal explorations, time travel, and the mysteries of the multiverse.In Unity, the captivating journey begins when two sisters are cast into different dimensions by their mother at an early age for their protection. Arriving alone and unprotected, with nothing but an amulet necklace, each sister experiences a vastly different life, unaware of the other's existence. In their twenties, during a time of great need, the amulets reveal clues, suggesting they are not as alone as they believed. Their journey is one of laughter, tears, gut-wrenching pain, and the alignment of destinies.Embark on this epic adventure, where tears, joy, laughter, and romance await in the first book of The Dimension Series.

Britney is a young, extremely malnourished child, who comes from a poor family with an abusive father. Her mother does everything she can to protect her daughter from her husband, receiving the brunt of the aggressive beatings herself. The girl barely speaks, afraid of being overheard by the wrong person, and the only words she knows are the few repeated words her mother uses to calm her after a fight. A total of three words in all, namely - Whisper, Britney, and Ma. There is a very private, sheltered spot in the nearby forest which Britney uses as a place to hide away if ever her mother has to spend the day walking into the nearest town to purchase supplies or to trade goods. They have discreet, non-verbal signals which they use to keep the area hidden and make sure that Britney is secure (far away from Pa s prying eyes). On one such day, Britney hears unusual sounds and is terrified that her father has found out about their system, but the surprise turns out to be just a lonesome little puppy. The girl quickly becomes friends with the stray, instantly joining forces in their solitude, only ever meeting in the secret place where they share such a deeply silent, unspoken bond. This continues until Ma helps her only child run away for good, tearfully leaving Britney to fend for herself in the best way she knows how. The adoring puppy (promptly being referred to as Whisper) unexpectedly follows the girl, and together they set off on a journey that will forever change their lives